Seeing Stars
by LittleMissWolfie
Summary: Being with her was like seeing stars. Only, with her, he got to keep them. Rated T for alcohol and mild swearing.


Seeing Stars

Gale was usually a patient man, having lived a very long time with the Witch Princess as his only companion. He'd learned to wait for the right time for everything, including the right time to fall in love and get married—which he was. Molly was, in his opinion, the most beautiful woman in the world.

Of course, being a human, Molly had a few…_distasteful_ habits, among those being going to the Brass Bar to visit her friends Kathy and Selena every Friday after work. Though she never drank more than a cocktail, he always worried about her.

It was a typical Friday evening as Gale sat in what was now his armchair, sipping on the coffee Molly had made him before she left and reading one of his astronomy books for the umpteenth time. The house, usually filled with Molly's chatter and laughter, seemed entirely too big and quiet for him on these lonely nights. As always, he began to countdown the minutes until his dear wife's return the second the front door closed.

A little earlier than usual, Gale felt another presence enter the field around Symphony Farm…then two more. Two of the entities were male, while the third was Molly.

Gale leapt from his chair and barreled out the front door of the rundown farmhouse, a spell already lighting up his fingertips. To his horror, he saw the two men were carrying his wife, who was red in the face and breathing heavy. "What have you _done_ to her?" he yelled, magic swirling around him and lifting his silver braid out of his eye.

The one carrying her feet—Luke, he vaguely recognized, with his trademark bandana covering his dark blue hair—lifted up his hands in a peaceful gesture, letting her legs thump against the summer grass. "We come in peace, dude!" he warbled, obviously intoxicated. "Molls here passed out at BB, so Owen and I were jus' bringin' her home." Owen, strong arms still gripping Molly's shoulders, nodded vigorously.

"You are lying. Molly never drinks more than a cocktail before she comes home!" His usually in-control temper flared, and his tattoo began to glow.

Luke shrunk back. "Not tonight, man! She was _wasted_! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

Silently, Owen passed Molly into Gale's arms in a very scared fashion. "Don't get too mad at her, Fortune Teller. Luke and Selena were egging her on all night. I'm taking _his_—" He jabbed a finger at Luke, who was stumbling over thin air in a struggle to remain upright, "—drunken ass home next. Don't worry; he's gonna have a mother of a hangover tomorrow." With that, he grabbed the back of Luke's vest and began to drag him up the path to the mountain, sparing a wave to the newlyweds as he went.

Gale carried Molly into the house, sending small amounts of healing energy into her temple as he walked. He could feel the pain she would have when she woke up, and it pained him.

As he laid her on the bed and started to look for the warmest pajamas she had, Molly stirred. "Gale?" she asked, disoriented. "Are you here?"

"Yes…" he whispered, not wanting to be too loud. He knew it would hurt her if he spoke loudly.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Gale," she moaned, putting a hand over her eyes. "Can you turn the lights off, honey? They're hurting my eyes." Almost immediately, the lights dimmed, leaving only the faint glow of the candles Gale simultaneously lit with his magic. "Thanks."

Gale sat gently on the foot of the bed, putting a gentle hand on her shin. "Are you…okay?" he asked.

She hummed in response, pausing to hiccup slightly. "I didn't mean to get that drunk, Gale, I swear. I think Luke asked Chase to put some vodka in my cocktail, 'cause it tasted funny."

"I am…not…mad, Molly." Gale's voice soothed her, and he could feel her pulse slow.

"There's a good part to this, though! I can see stars right now, even though I'm inside. I really like that."

"Why…do you like…stars?"

Molly seemed to contemplate that before answering, "They remind me of you. Or maybe you remind me of them. When I first met you, I thought you were beautiful, but distant; I thought you'd only burn me if I got close."

Gale felt an odd fluttering in his chest that'd he'd only recently classified as what Molly called "butterflies." "Why did you…think that?" he asked, curious.

"The way you carried yourself! You seemed like you would never open up to anyone, and I felt like a fool at first for trying to make you my friend." She hummed for a moment, hiccupped, and continued. "Now, when I look at you, it's like seeing my own constellation, day and night. And I'll never get tired of the view."

Gale felt a hot wetness well up in his eyes…_tears_? "I thought…you were also…like the stars. Unattainable…something I could only observe. You make me…warm. I like…being warm."

"I like being warm, too," she giggled. "Gale, I love you. I love you more than I love my cows and my sheeps and my horses and my chickens and my ducks, all put together."

"I love…you, too," he said gently. But she was already asleep. He sighed and began to change her into some pajamas. He tucked her under the covers and crawled under them next to her. Almost immediately, her slight body curled up, her head burrowing into her broad chest. His tanned arms wrapped around her and pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin. "You'll never know how much I love you."

Being with her was like seeing stars. Only, with her, he got to keep them.


End file.
